


The One Where...

by FreyReh



Series: I'll Be There For You [2]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), Supergirl (TV 2015), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-23
Updated: 2018-01-19
Packaged: 2018-08-16 20:20:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8116210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreyReh/pseuds/FreyReh
Summary: A sort of Friends!AU where Sara, Leonard, Mick, Laurel, Kara, and Barry are all friends who hang out and do what friends do. This is a sequel to 'Friends' and continues right after. And how sometimes friendships are tested... Especially when one starts to feel MORE for the other. CaptainCanary





	1. Leonard Finds Out

“Barry Henry Allen I swear if you eat that last pot-sticker I’ll gouge your eyes out!”

Barry froze, pot-sticker halfway to his mouth, and slowly looked at the blonde sitting across from him. She seemed harmless in her polka dot blouse and red pencil skirt, but behind those glasses perched on her nose, burned a fire promising pain. 

“I’d listen to her,” said Leonard, smirking. “Last time I got between her and food I couldn’t use my hand right for a week.”

“Ha-Ha,” said Kara, rolling her eyes before holding out her bowl to Barry. 

“You know,” started Barry while plopping the food into her bowl, “you get _really_ scary when you’re mad.”

Kara smiled brightly, settling back on the couch. “Why thank you!”

“So how’s it going, Man?” asked Barry, grabbing some more rice instead. 

“It’s going,” said Leonard, dipping his egg roll into some soy sauce before biting into it. Kara and Barry shared a look, earning a scowl from Leonard. “What?”

“It’s just...” started Kara. 

“We’re worried,” said Barry. “About you. And...”

“We just want to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m peachy,” said Leonard with a sigh. “Honestly. It’s better.”

“When James and I broke up it was the worst feeling ever,” said Kara. “You loved him, Leonard, so I can understand how hard things can be.”

“Look, it’s done and it’s over with. How about we talk about something else,” said Leonard. “Like Barry’s inability to land a date with that reporter.”

“Oh!” said Kara, clapping her hands. “Yes!”

“What? _No_. No, no. There’s nothing to talk about.”

“Barry, you’re blushing,” said Leonard, sounding smug. 

“I’m _not_ ,” said Barry, making a face. “It’s the... Chicken. Yeah. I bit into a red pepper...” Barry reached for his water and made a show of drinking it. 

“You’re totally blushing,” said Kara with a grin. “C’mon, Barry, you need to just bite the bullet and ask her out. You’ve known her for ages!”

“Hey, sometimes it’s better to just wait. I mean it hasn’t been that long since she lost her fiance and she’s just starting this new job... Sometimes it’s best to just wait and see what happens. It’s what you did with James. What your cousin Clark did with Lois. And what Sara is doing with-”

 _Whack_.

Kara gave Barry a warning look, the pillow she’d tossed at him falling innocently to the floor. And Barry’s eyes widened comically when he realized what he’d almost done. He shut his mouth quickly and his wide eyes found Leonard, who was looking at him curiously. 

“What Sara is doing with who?” he asked, genuinely curious. “She never mentioned being interested in someone.”

“She’s not,” said Kara. 

“Then why’d you hit Barry with that pillow?” asked Leonard, fixing her with a stare that had her shifting in her seat. Leonard was always good at getting the truth out of all of them and she wasn’t willing to let THIS truth come out of hiding. “Not that it isn’t always tempting to hit him in the face with a pillow... or fist.”

“Hey!”

“So...” Leonard calmly started eating once more, crossing his legs in the process. He swallowed his food then looked to the still nervous Barry. Barry he knew he could break. Kara would stutter and stammer, but she would keep the secret. Normally, Leonard wasn’t one to pry, but Sara was one of his best friends. It kind of... Hurt... To know she was telling everyone but him that she was interested in someone. He didn’t want what happened with Scott make her think she couldn’t talk about things like this with him. “Spill, Allen.”

“Would you look at the time,” said Barry, checking his watch-less wrist. “I forgot I’m meeting... Someone. Somewhere.”

“Barry,” said Leonard, his voice sharp and now serious. 

“Don’t make me tell you,” pleaded Barry. 

“If Sara wants you to know, she’ll tell you. Things with you lately... She just didn’t want to add any drama to your plate, okay?”

Leonard sighed, nodding. “Yeah, okay, Kara.”

Barry sighed in relief. 

Kara smiled. 

They ate the rest of their dinner in peace. When Kara had to leave to meet some coworkers it left Barry and Leonard alone and as soon as the door closed, Leonard turned to Barry. 

“She’s gone. Now tell me who Sara likes.”

“Hey-What-No!” Barry pointed at Leonard, rising from his chair. “We made a deal.”

“I did no such thing.”

“Leonard...”

“Barry...”

Barry ran his hands through his hair and almost pouted before sitting on the sofa. He sighed and started itching near his neck but Leonard sat patiently and soon Barry spoke. 

“It’s _you_. Okay? You happy now?” 

“W-What?” asked Leonard, now stunned, his eyes widening almost comically as all that fierceness he’d been exuberating suddenly switched to disbelief. “ _Me_?”

“She was going to tell you. She went to your place and when you opened the door... Scott was there. So she just...” Barry shrugged. “What am I supposed to tell you? I mean I wasn’t even supposed to find out but I overheard her and Kara talking about it one night when they had too much wine. And they made me promise not to tell...” Barry’s eyes widened. “You can’t tell Sara I told you. She’ll kill me!”

“I...” Leonard nodded. “I won’t tell her.”

“You okay?” Barry frowned. “You look like you’re about to throw up.”

“I think now would be a good time for you to go. I... I need to think.”

“Please don’t let her know you know. Okay? Especially---” 

“Especially what?”

“Especially...If you don’t return her feelings.” Barry stood, heading to the door quickly. He put his hand on the knob but didn’t turn it. He just stood there for a second before speaking. “You know. We all think you two would make a great couple. And I know, when we first met Laurel and Sara, that you liked her a little bit and wanted to be more than just a friend with her. I know you loved Scott, but if you don’t think you could ever love Sara just... Just let this go. Okay?”

Barry opened the door then left, the door closing behind him softly. Leonard slumped back in his seat, rubbing a hand over his face while his thoughts did their best to process the information he’d just obtained. Sara Lance, his friend of two years, liked him. The woman who had come barreling into his life and became one of the most important people in his life...

Liked him. 

“Shit.”

Maybe Barry had been right. He had felt something... Before Scott. But he’d been worried. Worried she hadn’t felt the same. Worried about ruining their friendship not only with each other but their other friends, too. Then, when Scott came, Leonard had forgotten about his additional feelings for Sara. He’d fallen in love with someone else...

And had gotten severely screwed over in the process. 

Standing, he started to pace, thoughts and ideas making his brain almost explode. Stopping suddenly he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. 

 _L: Sara, can we grab a coffee?_  
_S: Sure. I’m almost done with work. CP in ten?_  
_L: I’ll be there._  
_S: Everything okay?_  
_L: Yeah, just wanted to hang out._  
_S: Okay. See you s_ oon.

“Shit,” he said again. 

What was he going to do?

He just broke up with Scott. He couldn’t start things up with Sara. 

Could he? Did he want to jump into another relationship so fast? But... It was Sara. The woman who nerded out with him over Star Wars. The woman who punched a girl in the face when she called him derogatory remarks after seeing him and Scott kiss. The woman who always managed to pull him up from the dark when he got too close to falling into it.

Maybe, in a way... He loved her, too. 

Could it be that easy? Just say he liked her too and start being together?

Well, there was only one way to find out...


	2. Mick Needs a Roommate

“You know you’re always welcomed to stay at my place,” said Leonard, offering Mick a beer. Both settled on the leather sofa, Leonard flipping on the television to the first football game he could find. He wasn’t a hardcore fan, but he knew Mick was, and honestly there was nothing else on. Mick set his beer on a coaster, because he knew Leonard wasn’t a fan of rings on his coffee table, before lifting up the newspaper. 

He’d put the ad in the paper a few days ago for a roommate and so far he hadn’t had any keepers. He had a crazy lady who had one too many birds apply. As well as a guy who apparently didn’t know what a shower was. Another had been a student who looked like he’d be a thorn in his side, especially when he had a schedule of what his daily routine was. 

Fuck. _That_.

“I know, Leonard, but I like my place. Right by where I work and I don’t have to take the damn subway every day. I _hate_ the subway.”

“If things are tight I can always-”

Mick lifted a hand, halting the next words that would come out of his friend’s mouth. He and Leonard grew up together. Best friends from grade school all the way to the end of high school. When Leonard went on to college Mick had enlisted. After an accident that left a part of his body scarred for life, he’d come home, and become a firefighter. Leonard had helped him out before, but Mick knew it was now time to fend for himself. To work things out on his own instead of always relying on his friend. Sure, he’s made some mistakes along the way, but they were mistakes that he took responsibility for. 

“It’s okay, Len, I got it,” said Mick. 

“Okay,” said Leonard, eyes going to the game. “So… I found something out. Something I’m not quite sure how to handle.” Leonard looked down at his beer, sighing. “Sara.”

“What about her?” asked Mick. 

“Apparently, according to Barry, she-”

“Likes you,” said Mick, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Yeah.” Leonard lifted a brow. “You knew?”

“Pretty sure we _all_ knew,” said Mick. “We just never said anything. Were waiting for your two to figure it out. Laurel and I were just talking about it not long ago.”

“Laurel, huh?” asked Leonard. “While we’re on the topic of feelings…”

“I don’t think so,” said Mick, settling deeper into the sofa. “Besides. She’s hung up on that Tommy guy.” Mick shrugged a shoulder. “I’m not looking to be tied down.”

“Okay, Mick,” said Leonard as Mick’s phone rang. Mick looked at the phone and sighed when not recognizing the number. Probably another applicant. Mick rose from the sofa to take the call, leaving Leonard alone to his thoughts. 

He’d had coffee with Sara at C.P., but had never broached the topic of her liking him. He couldn’t. Not yet anyway. He didn’t want her thinking that she was a rebound. A part of him wanted to wait for her to come to him. A part of him hoped that she was still _wanting_ to be with him. Hell, he’d just broken things off with Scott, but somehow the idea of being with Sara made all the pain Scott inflicted on him seem like nothing. 

“Well, he sounded normal,” said Mick as he sat back on the sofa. “Gunna meet him tonight at the bar around nine.”

“Good luck,” said Leonard with a laugh. 

“Yeah,” said Mick, checking his watch. He had a couple hours. “In the meantime. Let’s enjoy the game.” He pointed a finger and Leonard. “And no more talking about feelings. Got it?”

“Got it.”

.

.

.

Mick exited Leonard’s apartment in time to see Laurel juggling a few bags of groceries and her keys. Immediately he went to her side, grabbing some of the bags. She offered him a thankful look before unlocking her door. The apartment was dark, signaling that Sara wasn’t hope, and Mick walked into the kitchen to set Laurel’s bags onto the island. 

“Thanks, Mick,” said Laurel. “I’m sure I would have dropped one of those bags. Probably the one with eggs in it.”

“No problem.”

“How’s Leonard doing?” asked Laurel. 

“Good. Just watched the game.” Mick wasn’t a gossip, but a part of him wanted to tell Laurel that Leonard knew that Sara liked him. However, he knew Laurel would then tell Sara. He wasn’t sure he should say anything. So, instead, he kept his mouth shut. He’d let Leonard and Sara figure their shit out on their own. “On my way to the bar now. Meeting a potential roommate.”

“Oh? I didn’t know you were looking for one,” said Laurel, opening the fridge to place her eggs, cheese, and fresh vegetables inside it. “Hopefully this person isn’t crazy.”

Mick took the time to tell Laurel about the other applicants. She shook her head, smiling as she finished putting the groceries away. Mick happened to look at the clock and despite wanting to stay he knew he had to go meet the guy at the bar. 

“I better go,” he said. “I’ll see you around Laurel.”

“Bye, Mick, thanks again!”

Mick waved before closing the door behind him. 

.

.

.

It was the bar they went to as a group sometimes. Mick was more of a fan of the classic bars. Ones that had the floors littered with peanut shells, pool tables, and a jukebox in the corner ready to play a classic. This place didn’t have his favorite beer on tap nor did it have its music blaring. He sighed, signaling the bartender Kendra for a beer, and she nodded. She knew what he liked and as he slid onto the stool she had a coaster down and his beer resting on top of it. 

“How’s it going, Mick?” she asked. 

“It’s going.”

“Just by yourself today?”

“Meeting a potential roommate,” said Mick. “Said we’d meet here.”

“Oh?” Kendra pointed at the end of the bar. “That might be him. He said something about meeting someone around this time.”

Mick looked down at the end of the bar. Sitting there was a man with what Mick would label a ‘ _girly drink_ ’ and earn a punch in the arm from Sara. He was eagerly sucking his drink up through a straw while looking around the bar. When his eyes fell on Mick he looked at him curiously before offering a tentative wave. 

“Christ,” he muttered before offering a tight smile and wave back. “Say it isn’t so, Kendra.”

“He isn’t so bad,” said Kendra. “He comes in here sometimes with his coworkers. Seems nice. I’ll tell him to come down here.”

Mick let out a long sigh before nodding, taking a VERY long drink of his beer, a drink so large he put the bottle down and signaled for one more. Kendra shot him an amused look as the man settled next to him, still sporting that damn drink with the wedges of pineapple sticking on the rim of the glass. 

“Hi! I’m Ray!” he said offering his hand. “Are you Mick?”

“Yeah,” said Mick, quickly shaking his hand before grabbing his new beer. 

“Nice to meet you! I was happy you said you wanted to meet here. This is my favorite place!”

“Doesn’t surprise me,” said Mick. 

“So… Anything you want to ask me?” asked Ray, oblivious to the minor insult Mick shot his way. “I’m _really_ needing a place to stay.”

“What made you need a roommate?” asked Mick, doing his best to make conversation, because he needed to find someone sooner rather than later. So what if the prettyboy liked the frilly drinks? If he paid his part, he could drink all the mai tais he wanted. Ray’s face dropped a little and soon Mick saw a smile that was forced instead of genuine. He lifted up his hand, signaling Ray didn’t have to answer. “So long as you don’t have any pets, don’t want to schedule what time we both take a dump in the morning, or make a case against eating meat—You’re in.”

“Really?!” asked Ray. “Cool!”

“ _Don’t_ say cool,” said Mick. 

“Oh. Okay. So… Can I move in tomorrow?” he asked. “I have most of my stuff in the storage unit… Whatever you don’t need I can keep there.”

“Don’t you want to see the place first?” he asked. 

“Tomorrow I’ll bring my suitcase and scope it out.”

“Suit yourself. Tomorrow is good. Rent is due next Friday for this upcoming month. We can go to the office tomorrow to add your name to the lease. Utilities are included, so you don’t have to worry about that. If you want to watch the T.V. or go on the internet you have to pay your part on that.”

“Yeah! Totally!” Ray said, nodding while taking another drink of his beverage. “So, Mick, what do you do for a living?”

“Firefighter.”

“That’s badass! I’m a physicist though my love of robotics is what brought me here. They have a new lab downtown, Hunter Industries. They’re doing good work.”

“Robots, huh? That’s actually kinda cool.”

“I thought we weren’t supposed to say cool?”

“I can say it. You can’t.”

“Right…” Ray sipped more of his drink but he was at the bottom of the glass and all it did was slurp. “I think this is a start to a wonderful friendship, Mick!”

All Mick could do was take another drink.

.

.

.

“So Mick is getting a new roommate,” said Laurel, settling down on the couch with a glass of wine. “He was meeting him today.”

“Really?” asked Sara, who also had a glass of wine in her hand. She settled next to Laurel as well before reaching for some of the chips and dip they laid out to snack on while watching ‘ _Once Upon a Time_ ’. “I didn’t know he was looking.”

“Neither did I,” said Laurel. “Hope it goes well for him.”

“Me, too,” said Sara, scooping up some of the dip then popping the whole chip in her mouth with a satisfied crunch. “Mmmm. Good.”

“Mom would be having a fit if she could see your manners now,” said Laurel with an amused smirk that earned her Sara opening her mouth to reveal her chewed food. “Ugh! Stop!”

Sara closed her mouth, swallowed her food, then reached for more as the show started. When it was the commercial break she got up to get more wine while her sister continued to nurse her first glass. Sara’s eyes drifted to her door. She was so lame! Wishing that Leonard would come over. She shook her head just as the show started up again. Sara laughed as Laurel sighed when Hook came onto the screen. 

“You and your bad boys.”

Laurel snorted. “Like you’re one to talk.”

“Teenage rebellion at its finest,” said Sara. “Though, I think the guy you’re interested in is far from a bad boy. In fact, can I just say… Snoozefest?”

“Tommy isn’t boring!” said Laurel, defending the man she’d been working up the nerve to ask out for some time. They were longtime friends from high school. He’d been the best friend of her ex-boyfriend. It was a little weird, but she felt a connection to him that she hadn’t had with Oliver. Well, in part, it was probably because Oliver had cheated on her at every turn and then had the nerve to hit on her sister! Sara had been young at the time, and Laurel held no ill-will toward her now, but when she’d walked in on her sister kissing Oliver she’d nearly cut her out of her life. It took a lot of work on Laurel’s part to be able to be in the room with Sara without punching her in the face for betraying her like that. That was all in the past, now, and they were closer than ever.

“He’s boring. Sometimes _you_ get boring. You’d both be boring together. You need someone to spice up your life. Someone that will keep you on your toes and always guessing.”

“Something tells me you’re not talking about me anymore,” said Laurel.

“What? Yes I am.”

“When are you going to tell him, Sara?”

Sara sighed, looking down into her glass of wine, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. “It’s not that easy. He’s just getting out of a relationship.”

“Something tells me he’d be more open to your advances than you think,” said Laurel, making Sara’s head snap up so that she could stare at her sister. 

“Why do you say that?”

“Call it intuition,” said Laurel, sipping her wine. 

“Right. Fine.” Sara rest her elbow on the arm of the sofa then propped her head up in her hand. She tried to focus on her show but all she could think about was what Laurel said. What did she know? Had someone said something? Had _Leonard_ said something? Her eyes kept falling to that door and soon she was up on her feet. Laurel asked where she was going but Sara couldn’t stop. If she stopped, then she’d stop for good. She opened the door, her glass of wine still in her hand, then walked across the hall…

And knocked on Leonard’s door.

 

**TBC…**


	3. Helen Dies

Summary: The gang has an unruly neighbor pass and start to feel like Helen is haunting them when some strange things occur. 

Read On AO3

.

.

.

Kara let out an exasperated, long-winded sigh as she entered Laurel’s apartment without knocking. Laurel, who was cooking dinner, looked up with a quirk of her brow while Sara turned down the television. Sara moved her legs just in time as Kara slouched next to her on the sofa. 

“I know that look,” said Sara, tucking her feet underneath her bottom and bracing her elbow against the back of the couch so her head could rest comfortably against her hand. “Who pissed you off?”

“Helen!”

“Ah, the always-so-charming Helen strikes again,” said Laurel, stirring the sauce that was going on the pasta, which was boiling in another pot. The scent of garlic, basil, and tomato filled the apartment. Of the group of friends, Laurel was the best cook, and Kara always made sure to be in the area when she had a night off to make dinner. Laurel had gotten in the habit of making for three instead of two. Her thanks? Kara and Sara doing the dishes. “What did she do this time?”

“She just... Rubs me the wrong way sometimes! You know?”

“Oh, w _e know,_ we’ve known since the day we’ve moved in. She once asked us if we were lesbians with a look on her face you’d have thought she was sucking a lemon,” said Sara. “I corrected her in saying we were sisters... But that I’d been known to fondle a boob or two...”

“To this day Helen clutches her cross whenever Sara is within her vicinity,” said Laurel with a smile.

“The woman needs to get with the times,” said Sara. 

“Sometimes, I just wish the woman would drop dead,” said Kara, her anger getting the best of her. “It would do us all a big favor!”

All three women looked up as a solid thunk sounded above them. The lighting fixture in the kitchen shook slightly and their eyes widened as they then looked at each other... because Helen’s apartment was directly above theirs. 

.

.

.

“What’s the emergency?” asked Barry as he entered Laurel’s apartment. He saw Kara, sitting on the sofa, hand clutching tissues with Laurel and Sara sitting on either side of her. 

“Thank god you’re here,” said Sara. “Maybe you can talk some sense into her.”

“I killed her, Barry!” sobbed Kara, hiccuping slightly. “I didn’t mean to!”

“Wait... What?” asked Barry, suddenly uneasy. 

“Kara wished for the old bag upstairs to drop dead,” said Leonard, who was leaning comfortably in an armchair. “And so she did.”

“Some sensitivity would be nice, Len,” said Sara. 

“Whatever, I just remember her calling Scott and I perverts one time when she caught us kissing in the hallways. And called Mick unintelligent once, too. So I say good riddance.”

“Wait... Can we start over, please?” asked Barry, coming to sit beside Kara as Sara moved. He wrapped his arm around his friend and she looked so sad and pathetic all he could do was just comfort her. “So what happened?”

“I was so mad at her Barry. She said such mean things about me... And I just came in here wishing she’d just drop dead.” Kara pointed up at the ceiling. “And she did! I killed her!” A fresh wave of sobs had Barry patting her back then looking at his friends mouthing ‘ _wow_ ’ in the process. 

“You didn’t kill her, Kara,” said Alex, having heard her sister as she entered the apartment without knocking. She worked for the F.B.I. but the frantic call from her sister had her dropping everything to check out what had occurred. “It was natural causes. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But Alex...” Laurel moved as Alex came to sit with her sister. “I still feel bad.”

“And it’s okay to,” said Alex. “But it isn’t your fault.”

Kara nodded, wiping at her tears. “Can you take me home?”

“Sure can. And I’ll stay the night if you want.”

“Please?” asked Kara. 

“Just let me tell Maggie I’m not going to be home tonight,” said Alex. 

“Okay. I’m going to use the bathroom before we go,” said Kara. 

“Ok.” As soon as Kara was gone Alex snorted slightly, hand going to her mouth. “Oh. Oh I shouldn’t laugh. But poor Kara. Maggie is going to lose it when I tell her what happened.”

“We couldn’t believe it,” said Laurel. 

“It was pretty surreal,” said Sara. 

“It looks like a heart-attack, but an autopsy will have to confirm.”

“Surprised someone as heartless as her could have a heart,” said Leonard, earning a scowl from Sara. “What?”

“Don’t speak ill of the dead, Len.”

“Whatever,” he said with an eye-roll. 

When Kara came out of the bathroom, she left with Alex. Barry, seeing that the situation was under control, announced he’d head to the police department where he worked to try and hurry the autopsy along as fast as possible. Barry was the one person who was known to get things done quickly. It left Laurel, Sara, and Leonard alone. 

“Well, who wants some more-than-likely dried out pasta?” asked Laurel. 

“I would, but I’m meeting Mick at his place,” said Leonard. “Next time.”

“Going to meet the roommate?” asked Sara. 

“Wish me luck,” said Leonard as he left. 

“What a crazy night,” said Sara, moving to dish up a plate.

“Think Kara will be okay?” asked Laurel.

“Eventually,” said Sara. “She’s the one that takes things to heart the most.”

“And how are you holding up?” asked Laurel, getting her own plate. They decided to sit at the table. Each had a bottle of water and grabbed some cold, but still good, garlic bread. “After the other night?”

Sara shrugged a shoulder. “I’m fine.”

“Which is Sara speak for being sad.”

“Frustrated is more like it,” she said eventually. “Twice now I’ve tried saying something. Both times failed.”

“Just because he wasn’t home doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try again,” said Laurel. 

“Maybe...” Sara sighed. “Just not now.”

.

.

.

That week, after the death of Helen, some things started happening that didn’t quite add up. One day, Laurel had taken out the trash and come back to a locked apartment---She knew she’d left the door unlocked and she’d ended up waiting an hour until Leonard got home so he could get their extra key due to not having her phone to call the landlord.

Another night Leonard chalked up his freezing apartment to the heater not working properly. Sara had woken up to what sounded like footsteps in her bedroom---and when Mick had brought Ray to visit them the first time?

They’d gotten stuck in the elevator for a half-an-hour and while Mick had stayed calm---Ray had freaked out to the point where Mick wouldn’t have been opposed to murder. 

“Pipe down, Ray, it’s always been a shitty elevator,” said Mick. 

“But after all the stories you told me, I think you’re being haunted,” said Ray. 

“There’s no such things as ghosts, Raymond,” said Leonard. 

“Ray has a point,” said Barry. 

“Not you, too,” muttered Leonard, rising from his sofa to get another beer. 

“Think of all the weird stuff that’s been happening. Today? I went to go get a drink from my coffee---and the cup was on the other side of the table from where I’d left it.”

“I think you’re being paranoid,” said Leonard. At that moment, all the lights went out, and even Leonard had to admit he felt a bit of slight panic. 

“Still think I’m being paranoid?!” asked Barry the dark. 

“Shut up, Allen!”

.

.

.

“Hey guys,” greeted Laurel, opening the door. She had candles lit all around the apartment. The glow was warm and inviting. All four men walked in feeling a bit of calm being in the light again. “From what I hear the whole building is out.”

“Ray here thinks Helen’s ghost did it,” said Leonard. 

“Hey! Ghosts are real! You never know!” argued Ray. 

“Sara home?” asked Mick. 

“No, she went out with some co-workers. I texted her to let her know what was happening.” Laurel’s phone buzzed at the moment and she laughed as she opened the text and showed it to the men. It was the ghost emoji. 

“See?!”

“She said it as a joke,” said Len, rolling his eyes. 

“Whatever,” said Mick. “I’m going to go in the basement to see if a breaker is out. Can’t wait for the crackpot of a landlord of yours to try and fix something.”

“I’ll come with,” said Laurel, grabbing a flashlight. “Just in case the boogeyman comes out to grab you.”

Mick chuckled. 

“You’re all mean,” said Ray with a huff. 

“Hey, I didn’t do anything,” insisted Barry. 

“Okay, you’re off the hook.”

.

.

.

“Everything here looks fine,” said Mick, studying the box while Laurel held up the flashlight. “Could be a line or something else. For all we know someone hit the pole outside. Should probably go check outside.”

“Okay.” Laurel frowned as her flashlight began to flicker. She smacked it against her palm and frowned when it went out. “I thought I just put batteries in this...”

A slight noise had them both stiffening. Laurel moved closer to Mick, grabbing onto his arm and holding her breath. Another shuffle had her moving closer, her grip on his arm deadly. 

“Hello?” called out Mick, reaching into his pocket for his lighter. He flicked it, getting some light. “Who’s there?”

“Maybe we should go upstairs,” whispered Laurel. 

“I’m not going to-”

A figure came out of the darkness and both Mick and Laurel, maybe---Perhaps--- Screamed. A little. Only a little. Before hauling ass out of the basement. The figure, who happened to be someone from the power company, shook his head before heading to the box Mick and Laurel had been at. He hated his job, so maybe he had a little fun with the tenants of the building .

“Looks good,” he said, checking off his clipboard. “On to the next thing...”

“You okay?” asked Mick, breathless, a few minutes later. 

“I’m fine,” said Laurel, pulling strands of hair out of her face, panting as well from running up five flights of stairs. They were outside of her apartment but both agreed they’d calm down a little before going inside. They didn’t want the others to know they’d been scared out of the basement. “I think it was just our minds playing tricks on us.”

“Yeah.”

“There are no ghosts.”

“No ghosts,” agreed Mick as the flashlight in Laurel’s hand, which had been dead a moment ago, came back to life. “Agh, c’mon... _Seriously_?”

“Okay. Maybe there _are_ ghosts,” said Laurel.

.

.

.

“Everything downstairs looked okay,” said Mick as he entered Laurel’s apartment. She immediately put the flashlight down on the table.

“Saw a van from the power company pull up a few minutes ago,” said Leonard. “I’m sure the lights will be back on in no time.”

“Good.”

“How about we all just leave and go to the movies or something?” asked Ray.

“Eh, only movie I want to see right now is Wonder Woman and Sara would kill me if I saw that without her,” said Laurel. “You four can go on ahead.”

“Well, I’ve had enough of the creepy apartment building,” said Ray.

“Stop being such a baby, Haircut.”

At that second, the sounds of footsteps above their heads had everyone freezing then looking up. The footsteps stopped and a loud thunk had Laurel gasping and bringing both hands to her mouth. Ray, knowing the story of Helen having lived above them, looked like he was about to faint. Barry swallowed audibly and Leonard frowned while Mick sighed in annoyance. 

Sara chose that time to come home and she frowned when seeing their expressions. “What’s going on?”

.

.

.

“Sara, maybe we should wait...” started Laurel.

“Yeah, until the lights are on!” said Barry.

“You all are being babies. Go back downstairs if you want, but I want to see who is in here.” They were outside of Helen’s apartment. “Don’t you?”

“Oh, I know who is in there. A _ghost_! And I _don’t_ want to say hi,” said Ray.

Sara rolled her eyes then knocked. Everyone waited on baited breath, even Mick. When no one answered, Sara tried the door. It opened easily. The apartment, for the most part, looked empty save for a few things that must’ve belonged to Helen. There was a single box in the middle of the floor. The group walked in with frowns. It was eerie in there, with no lights save for that of the city shining through the windows. In that moment, the lights turned on. 

“See? There's-”

A startled scream had them all turning toward a slight woman with brunette hair. Her eyes were wide and she dropped the box she’d been holding. 

“What are you doing in my apartment?!”

“Wait- _Your_ apartment?” asked Len. 

“I’m calling the Police!” shouted the woman. 

“Wait, wait, please wait,” said Mick, hands up. “I’m a Firefighter-”

“I don’t care if you’re the Queen of England. Get out!” she shouted. 

“We heard a loud noise and wanted to make sure whoever was up here was okay,” said Ray. “We’re sorry we scared you. The tenant here passed away, so when we heard the noise downstairs we came to investigate.”

“Oh... That makes sense...” The woman picked up her dropped box. Ray eagerly came forward to grab it. “Thank you.”

“We didn’t know someone had already rented it,” said Sara. 

“Oh, well, Aunt Helen had paid the rent up for a while. I just decided to move into the city. I was originally going to just live here temporarily but... With what happened, I worked out a deal with the landlord to stay up until the last paid month.”

“Wait... Helen was your aunt?” asked Laurel. 

“Yes. Oh, sorry, how rude of me. I’m Lily! Lily Stein!”

.

.

.

 

“What a night,” said Sara. 

“Oh, you don’t know the half of it,” said Laurel with a laugh. 

“Well, I’m ready to go home now.”

“You sure you don’t want to stay and go up to oggle the new girl some more?” asked Mick. 

“What? I didn’t oggle!”

“You totally oggled,” said Sara with a grin. 

“I need to go anyway,” said Barry. “Early morning.”

“Same,” said Laurel. 

They all said their goodbyes. Sara and Leonard lingered in the hall. She looked at him and smiled. He chuckled, putting his hands in the pockets of his jeans. They stayed in comfortable silence for a while before Leonard made a move to go into his apartment. 

“Leonard?”

He stilled then turned back to face her. “Yeah?”

She looked like she wanted to say something important. He held his breath, thinking that this would be the moment she finally told him her feelings. Instead, she just offered another smile.

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Sara.”

Both went into their apartments, closed their doors, then leaned against them: both wondering when they’d get the courage to say how they felt about one another...

All while a woman walked down the hall then stilled outside their doors. She brought her hand up to her cross necklace and fiddled with it before shaking her head, her graying hair seeming almost translucent. 

“Stupid children, always dragging their feet,” she said, tutting before continuing her walk down the hall... Vanishing as she got to the end of it. 


	4. Ray Meddles

Ray hasn’t been a part of the group long but he was starting to notice certain things. Like how Sara and Leonard looked at each other, and how the others looked at them and rolled their eyes. He’s pretty sure he heard Mick complain about their friends taking too long to  _“figure their shit out”_.  Of course, Mick was one to talk. It didn’t take someone as smart as Ray to figure out he had it bad for Laurel. Laurel, however, was oblivious. Every time she brought up getting the nerve to make things official with Tommy, Ray was worried that would be the day Mick punched another hole in their wall.

Oh, yeah, there was a hole. Right there near the bathroom. Ray never asked what it was from… He knew it was from Mick.. Oh, Mick was one big softie on the inside, just sometimes… Scary. Yeah. That’s the right word. A part of him still wondered what had made him blow up enough to risk losing the security deposit on the place…

Ray knew sometimes that people wanted to keep their feelings secret for a reason. But, he also knew that if someone kept their feelings secret, it could potentially end up hurting someone. After he’d lost his fiancee Anna, he’d dated another woman a few years later. He’d thought things were going well. Hell, he’d been ready to propose… Only to find that she ended up having feelings for someone else. It hurt, and despite her saying she still cared for him, he’d broken up with her. He just couldn’t be with someone who didn’t love him and only him… And he couldn’t be with someone who had lied to him either.

Which was why he needed to get these people on track. He had a few plans in place. Hell, he even enlisted in some help from others. They’d been skeptical and even said if his plans blew up in his face to keep them out of it. He’d agreed. He’d take the blame… So long as if Mick felt like punching a hole in something it wasn’t Ray’s head!  

Speaking of…

The rattling of the doorknob had Ray taking a deep breath. The door swung open and Ray greeted Mick with a wave. Mick grunted out a greeting. He smelled of smoke and had some ash staining the skin around his neck. He was dragging his feet, too, which let Ray know he was tired. He only hoped he wasn’t too tired for his plan to work. 

“Hey, Mick! How was your day?”

“Fine.”

“Ah, okay, I was wondering if you wanted to-”

“Pass,” said Mick, dumping his stuff on the sofa before walking to the fridge. Probably to get a beer. Ray couldn’t let him pop a beer! Once he took that first taste all Mick wanted to do was sit in a recliner and watch whatever sporting event was on television. 

“You don’t even know what I was going to say!”

“Listen, it’s been a long day,” said Mick, beer now in hand. “So-”

“Fine! I’ll just tell Laurel you said no.”

Mick hesitated opening the beer, instead turning his head back to stare at Ray. His gaze was inquisitive and imploring. Ray just shrugged while grabbing his phone, acting like he was using it instead of moving icons around. 

“I’ll text her and tell her you can’t make it.”

“Make what?”

“Oh she had wanted to grab some dinner with us. I guess she’s had a crummy week… She managed to grab some reservations at that new place on tenth that just opened up and everyone’s been raving about.”

“Wait… Spitfire Grill?” asked Mick, beer going back in the fridge. 

“Hm? Oh, yeah, that one.”

“Damn…” Mick looked at the clock. “What time did she want to meet up?”

“Eight I think.” It was currently six. “But if you don’t want to go…”

“Nah, I’ll go. I mean, if she’s had a rough week…”

“Sweet! I’ll tell her you’re in! I’ll have to meet you there though! I need to finish some things at the lab! Uh, the reservation is under her name… In case you beat us there!”

Mick just nodded and Ray left the apartment. He sighed in relief before opening his phone to his contacts. He found Laurel’s number and pressed the button to call her as he headed out the apartment. 

“Hey, Laurel? It’s Ray… Are you busy? No?  _Great_!”

.

.

.

Laurel studied the menu as she sat alone at a table for three. She glanced at her phone to see it was five minutes to eight. She reached for her lemon water and took a sip. Ray had sounded concerned on the phone. He’d said that Mick had had a rough week and he wanted to cheer him up. Laurel knew that being a firefighter meant you had to deal with some tough calls. Hell, she was on her way to becoming ADA, and there were times she even got depressed by the cases that passed over her desk. She’d been tempted to bring the others but Ray said he’d been only able to get the reservation for three, but that they could all maybe hang out on Friday. Laurel had agreed. Though she was a bit surprised Ray had called her instead of Leonard. Leonard was Mick’s closest friend. Maybe he’d be the better choice at cheering him up. 

She looked up when she heard Mick’s voice. She smiled when he looked at Lily almost warily at the hostess desk. It surprised her, too, to see the girl they’d all initially thought was a ghost there. Apparently it was the first job interview she’d been able to get. She was going to school but still needed money to pay her bills. Lily guided him around a few tables and seated him at their table. She greeted him with a smile and he nodded before ordering a beer. 

“Hey,” she said. 

“Hey… Ray isn’t here yet?”

“No,” she answered. “He did say he had to make a stop at his job.”

“Yeah…” Mick opened up his menu, glancing at the choices. He squinted a little and Laurel hid her smile behind the menu. She knew he wore glasses to read and he was being stubborn, as always, about wearing them in front of people. “He said that to me, too. Uh… Anything look good?”

“I’m thinking about getting the raspberry ribs.”

“Ah… Can’t go wrong with a sirloin.”

At the same time their phones pinged. Laurel glanced at hers, still on the table, while Mick tugged his out of his jacket. They both read the message from Ray with a slight frown. Apparently, he was stuck at work, and couldn’t make it.

“You get the same text from Ray?”

“That’s he’s bailing? Yeah,” said Mick, now suddenly nervous over being alone with Laurel. He was going to kill Ray when he saw him next. For some reason he had the sneaking suspicion that he did this on purpose. 

“I mean we’re here anyway,” said Laurel. “So I’m staying. And I’m getting some ribs. Because this place has reservations all the way up through the month. I was told that when I tried calling here earlier this week to take Dad here for his birthday.”

“But I thought…” Mick’s frown deepened. “The reservation was under your name…”

“Oh, yeah, Ray said he put it in my name in case he was late. Well, good thing he used my name now… Otherwise we might not have gotten in.” Laurel frowned. “You okay? Your face it a little red.”

“Fine,” said Mick, taking a long drink of the beer that Lily deposited. 

“Still waiting for one more?” asked Lily.

“No,” said Laurel with a shake of her head. “Just us.”

“Okay. I can clear this plate. Do you need more time to order?”

“Nah, we’re ready I think,” said Mick, glancing at Laurel. “Right?”

“Right.”

So they ordered. They didn’t talk at first. She sipped her water and checked her phone while he brooded a little and drank his beer. Mick was pissed. For some reason, Ray had put this plan in motion. Why? Ah,  _fuck_ , did he know? He  _had_ to know! He chanced a glance to Laurel, wondering if she knew, too…

“You, uh, look nice by the way.”

“Oh, thanks, I… I don’t get to go out in just a nice pair of jeans and a top anymore. I always have to look professional… It’s nice to just… You know, let my hair down… So to speak.”

Her hair was down though. In long, blonde curls that framed her face. His eyes trailed down lower to see her simple white tank top and leather jacket. Mick looked away again, tugging at the collar of his thermal shirt. 

“Is it warm in here?” he asked . 

“Um, maybe a little, they did sit us close to the rotisserie,” said Laurel, pointing at the large piece of machinery near by, the chickens inside it roasting and rotating. She frowned as he took another drink of his beer. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine…”

“Ray said he something about you having a rough week. Want to talk about it?”

_That sonuvabitch…_

“No. I mean. I’m fine. It’s nothing.  _Really_.”

“Ok…”

“How about you? Are things good? Nothing… Wrong?”

“Things are fine. I mean I got into a heated argument with a parking attendant who wanted to say I was in my spot for over four hours. Which was false! It was a whole thing. I was ready to punch the guy. Looked back at the cameras at the restaurant that was close by. Turns out it was a car, different make and model, but the same color as mine.”

Mick laughed at that. “What a moron.”

“Yeah. Let’s just say I really enjoyed the apology when I confronted their supervisor. Of course, my ticket was forgiven as well.”

Her salad and his soup soon arrived so their small talk ceased while they enjoyed their food. When their meals came she offered a taste of her ribs and he offered her some steak. It was… Nice. But Mick knew that Laurel didn’t see this as a date. Not really. So he didn’t either. Just two friends enjoying dinner. When they finished their meal he offered to pay for them both. Laurel waved him away, insisted she pay for her own. He didn’t argue, considering he wasn’t getting paid for another week. When they walked out Mick swore he saw Lily wink at him and he had to wonder if she was in on Ray’s little plan. 

“Well that was good,” said Laurel, hands going to her stomach. “I’m stuffed.”

“Yeah. Me, too.” Mick checked his watch. It wasn’t even ten yet. But he was on call. It was Thursday so he knew Laurel had to work in the morning. “I’d ask you to go get a drink over at Hawk’s but it’s getting late.”

“Yeah, it is…” Laurel confirmed that by looking at her own watch. “Well, it was fun…” She motioned for a cab. She lived on the other end of town as him. For a moment, he wished  _he_ was the one who lived across from her. She opened the door and looked over her shoulder at him. Was it bad that he just wanted to kiss her? If he thought she’d be okay with it… And not punch him in the nose for it… He might have. “I’ll see you Friday?”

Mick rolled his eyes. “Fiesta Friday. Yeah. I’ll be there.”

“Oh, it isn’t that bad. I seem to remember someone eating all the chicken nachos last time.”

“Hey, you make some damn good nachos.”

“Goodnight, Mick,” said Laurel before getting into her cab. He offered her a wave as it pulled away. 

“Goodnight, Laurel.”

.

.

.

“I’m sorry!” shouted Ray, thirty minutes later, as Mick came barging into the apartment with a look of murder in his eyes. 

“I should pound you into paste for what you did,” said Mick, chasing Ray around the sofa. Stopping when realizing chasing him was stupid. He pointed at Ray, who looked about ready to wet himself. Good. “Don’t ever pull a stunt like that again. You got it?”

“Yeah. No problem…” Ray watched as Mick went to his room. “Hey, how was the food? I do want to eventually go there and—”

Mick’s answer? The slamming of his bedroom door.

.

.

.

“Okay, so phase one wasn’t a success… No matter. Every great scientist knows that sometimes you have to fail…” Ray lifted up a screwdriver. "In order to succeed.”

.

.

.

Friday was a night they all got together. Every night was different. Sometimes they went to the bar they all liked. Sometimes a coffee shop. Or a movie. Most of the time they just went to someone’s apartment and hung out while eating good food. This Friday was deemed Fiesta Friday. Laurel and Sara cooked, Leonard and Mick helped with clean-up and brought the booze, and Barry along with Kara thought of the entertainment. Most of the times it was a game of some sort. Though the last time they’d played Monopoly and just about killed one another. Ray was excited for the event. Not only because of the tacos, but because of his plan for Leonard and Sara. Things with he and Mick had been… Tense. For a couple days. But Mick eventually turned his attitude around. 

Because, apparently, he and Laurel had been talking more.

And Ray didn’t just know that because he snuck a peak over Mick’s shoulder once, or twice, to see who he kept texting all the time. So, even though they weren’t dating… Progress had been made!

“Man it smells good out here,” said Ray outside Laurel’s door. 

“Laurel knows how to cook. She’s amazing at it.”

“Oh? You like her food, huh?” asked Ray.

“Just open the door,” said Mick with a growl. Ray obliged. Everyone had beaten them there and greeted them with a smile. Barry took one of the cases of beers Ray held. Leonard and Sara were already nursing their first drinks. Laurel had a glass of wine on the counter while she did her finishing touches on her food. 

“Hey guys!” greeted Kara. She already had salsa on her shirt, Ray noticed, but didn’t seem to care since she still had a small plate filled with chips and the red sauce. “We were just talking about teams for Pictionary tonight!”

There was an easel set up. And a few markers littered on the coffee table. 

“You and Barry cannot be on the same team!” argued Sara.

“Awe, why?” asked Barry.

“Because you two are like robots!” chimed in Mick. “All synced up together or something. It’s freaky.”

“You never care about the game anyway,” said Kara, hands on her hips. 

“I agree with Mick,” chimed in Laurel. “And Sara. You two need to be split up.”

“Barry!” whined Kara, a fake pout on her lip. “They want to keep us apart!”

“Never!” argued Barry, puffing out his chest, earning a handful a chips to be thrown at him by Sara. “H-Hey! Uncalled for!”

“How about we just eat and worry about teams later?” asked Laurel. 

“Agreed,” said everyone else. They grabbed their plates and dished up. There were hard and soft shells for tacos, homemade Spanish rice, refried beans, and a seven-layer dip. Kara and Sara made themselves some margaritas. Ray and Barry decided that they wanted one, too. Leonard and Mick stuck with their beers. They gathered around on the sofa, chairs, and floors and ate. The television was on, a sitcom filling in the background noise as they chatted about their week. While six friends chatted… One plotted. Ray wasn’t sure when the best time was to enact his plan. Somehow, he had to get both Leonard and Sara over to Leonard’s apartment. It took him a while but when Mick went to the bathroom, Ray decided to pounce. 

“Oh, hey, Leonard? Mick said to ask you if he left his wallet over there. He was missing it from two nights ago.”

“Really?” asked Leonard with a furrowed brow, standing from his chair. “That’s odd, he never said anything…”

“Oh, he forgot about it till now. But, you know Mick, when he has to go he has to go. He told me to just tell you… About it. The wallet. That… He’s missing.”

“Okay…” Leonard pursed his lips, not sure what to make of Ray’s behavior. “I’ll go check…” Leonard looked at the bathroom that Mick hadn’t come out of yet, then headed to his place to go look for the wallet. If it was in his place… He’d really hadn’t noticed it. He closed his door and started looking between the cushions on the sofa. He looked up as the door to his place opened. Sara came in, closing the door behind her. “Sara?”

“Ray said you wanted to talk to me?”

“What? No I didn’t…” Leonard had a look of confusion on his face. “What is he up to?”

“I don’t know…” Sara looked up at Leonard as he came to stand before her. “You didn’t need to talk?”

“No…”

.

.

.

“What the hell are you doing?” Ray jumped, screwdriver in hand, as he whipped around to see Mick and Barry standing there. Mick had his arms crossed over his chest. “Well?!”

“I…I… Well…” Ray got all his words out in a rush. “Well, see, I think Leonard and Sara like one another… And they just need some time alone to say it. So I, uh, wanted to get them locked inside his apartment. Just… For a little while.”

Mick and Barry shared a look. And Ray was super surprised when Mick spoke.

“Do it.”

.

.

.

“What the hell?” asked Sara as she turned the knob… And it fell off the door in her hands. Just the knob piece. The locking mechanism was still in place. “Uh.. Len? I broke your door.”

“What? Let me see…”

Sara held up the knob. Leonard sighed as he tried pushing the door open. Nothing. _Great_. They were locked in. He pounded on the door to try and get their attention across the hall. After a few moments they realized no one could hear him. 

“Have your phone?”

“No,” said Sara. “You?”

“No… I left it on your counter. Shit.”

“Can’t we just take the door off?” asked Sara. 

“Yeah, I guess we don’t really have a choice. But the problem is getting that lock out just right.”

Sara nodded. “I mean. I’m sure someone will notice us gone.”

 _‘Oh, someone already knows,’_ thought Leonard. And he was going to kill Ray. He knew he had a hand in this. And since Mick told Leonard what had happened with Laurel… Leonard bet Ray had a hand in this as well. It’s been a few days since he’d found out Sara’s secret. He’d been waiting for her to say something but maybe… Maybe  _he_ was the one who needed to open up first. 

“We’ll give it a few minutes and if no one comes looking we can either go down the fire escape or take off the door.”

“Okay,” said Sara. 

“Want a drink?” asked Leonard as he opened up his cabinet. If he was going to confess his feelings to her, he needed a drink. 

“Uh… Sure… I’ll take one while I’m here.” Sara looked around the darkened living room. She flipped on a lamp, casting the room in a dim light. She settled down on his leather sofa and sighed. He walked around to sit next to her. She took her glass and they sat in a comfortable silence. They could hear laughter from across the hall. “Man, are we really that loud? No wonder Helen hated us.”

“Well, there were more reasons than us being loud,” said Leonard, earning  laugh from Sara. 

“True… There was…”

She chanced a look at him and smiled. He returned her smile before she turned away, taking a long drink from her glass. He followed suit. When five minutes passed he sighed, finishing his drink and setting the empty glass on the glass top of his coffee table. 

“Sara…”

“Yeah?” she asked, finger gliding over the rim of her glass.

“I need to ask you something.”

“About?” she asked. 

“About me… and you… and me and you…”

“W-What about… Us?” she asked, blue eyes widening. She licked her lips, nervous, and he couldn’t stop his eyes from going there. He heard her breath hitch and he had to wonder what he’d done to make her so nervous around him. He took the drink out of her hands and set it next to his on the table. He then reached for her hand and took it before staring into her eyes. “Len?”

“I’ve been waiting for the right moment to bring this up… Seems like someone else has decided that tonight is the night,” he said, nodding toward the door. 

“Wait… Someone else broke your door?”

“Raymond.”

“Ray? But why?”

“To help us get our heads out of our asses…”

“What?” Sara shook her head. “I don’t…”

“Sara… That night you came over. When I was first dating Scott. What were you really here for? Tell me…”

“I… I…” She wanted to run. But the damn door was broken. She couldn’t run out on him. That would be taking the coward’s way out. So she lifted her chin. “You want to know what I was coming here for? What I wanted to say?”

“Yes.”

Sara, in this moment, knew she’d fumble with her words. So she did the next best thing. She brought her hands up to his face, palms sliding over the stubble of his cheeks, then leaned in and kissed him. It was deep, yet soft. There was a bubbling passion underneath the calm movement of her lips over his. The kiss, though only a few seconds, felt like it went on forever. When the kiss broke, both of them opened their eyes… His were filled with nothing but wonderment. Hers were filled with lust and dare he say… Love?

“That… Is what I’d wanted to say.”

.

.

.

“Hey,” said Kara, looking around the room. “Where are Leonard and Sara?”

“They had to go run over to Leonard’s for a bit,” said Ray. “They’ll be back.”

“Yeah, in the meantime…” Barry lifted up a marker. “Pictionary?”

 **TBC** …


End file.
